DAL PALAK

This dal palak tastes great with rice or hot rotis, a flavourful North Indian cuisine with wonderful combination of lentil, spinach, garlic and ghee. I like to include greens in my regular diet. This is a very comfort food and I love to prepare this in specially winter days. Try it, easy to make but finger licking delicious dal recipe, I would say.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup Split Green Gram Lentil (Mung dal)
2 Cup Baby Spinach
2 Bay Leaves
A pinch of Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
2 medium sized Tomato (chopped)
1/2 tsp minced Garlic
1/2 tsp minced Ginger
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
3 Green Chillies
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1 tbsp lowfat Sour Cream
1 tsp oil
3 tbsps Clarified Butter (ghee)
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add spinach and green chillies in it. Saute for 3 minutes.

Grind spinach and green chillies with 2 tbsps water to make a smooth paste. Set aside.

Wash split green gram lentil nicely and pressure cook it till 3 whistles. Let is cool naturally. Keep aside.

Heat clarified butter in a pan. Add bay leaves and cumin seeds, when cumin seed crackles, add asafoetida in it. Add minced garlic and ginger in it. Saute for 30 seconds. Now add chopped onion, fry till onion turns golden.

Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder in it. Saute for another 2 minutes. Now add Tomatoes and salt in it.

Fry till tomatoes get mushy, now add spinach paste in it. Mix nicely for another 2 minutes.

 

 

Now add boiled lentil in it and mix thoroughly. Mash the lentils with the tip of spatula. Add little water if needed. Cover and cook for 2 minutes on medium heat.

Now add sour cream in it. Again fold nicely. Cook for another 2-3 minutes on low heat. Remove from heat.

Serve hot with steamed rice or hot rotis or naan or parathas.

TIPS: Do not over cook the dal and dal should not be mushy as the spinach tends to
          discolour quickly.

Linking to: Favorite Recipes: Vegetarian Recipes